ChrisHaynes, CSNNW.com Trail Blazers Insider (@ChrisBHaynes)

UTAH The Utah Jazz are fresh off of defeating thePortland Trail Blazers in a meaningless game that gave the Jazz theirfifth consecutive victory before they head into postseason playagainst the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Knownas a small market team, the Jazz have consistently been a playoffteam throughout their existence. In fact, out of the Jazz's 29seasons, they have gone to the playoffs 25 times.

That'simpressive for a small market franchise.

Jazz'sgeneral manager Kevin O'Connor was asked on Wednesday by local media if the Jazzwere in the same class as playoff perennial franchises such as thePittsburg Steelers and the New York Yankees.

O'Connorhad this response:

"It'snot there. We haven't won a championship. Those guys have. I thinkthe key thing is that you try and be patient in an impatient worldthat you live in, and we live in an impatient world, O'Connor toldreporters.

Thebest example I have is Nate McMillan. All the success that he had upthere (in Portland), dragging those teams through all the injuriesand everything. He had two-and-a-half bad weeks and they fire him. Imean, that to me, I don't understand it. But that's, I guess, Ishouldn't be in somebody else's business."

Soit sounds as if O'Connor feels like Nate McMillan got a raw deal. Notoften you hear an executive from another team, let alone a divisionrival, take up for a coach who was axed.

Withthe history these two teams have with one another, those commentswere the last thing I would expect to hear come out of O'Connor'smouth. Have to give him credit for being blatantly honest, though.